Look into the pensieve
by Jijava-hana
Summary: Follows the antics of James Potter when he was a kid attending Hogwarts.


Look into the pensieve

Chapter 1

It was such a good day, when James Potter received a letter telling him he had been invited to attend Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. He knew a few wizards and witches, and was quite popular in his little neighbourhood. His parents were ever so proud when he showed them the letter, and he was off to Daigon Alley the very next day.

In the Leaky Cauldron, London, James' Father took him into the courtyard. James watched in awe as his Father tapped a stone brick, third to the left, and revealed a large archway leading into a bustling street full of every thing James could hope for. The archway was tall enough for a small giant to slip through, and it disappeared once James and his Father entered Daigon alley.  
They went, firstly, to Gringotts, as James' father had no money on him at the moment. While walking towards the towering, snowy-white building, James was so taken by his surroundings (He hadn't been to Daigon Alley for a while) that he bumped into a frail-looking boy with light brown hair, knocking him over, and spilling the contents of his leather bag everywhere.  
"Oh, sorry," James said. The boy got to his feet, shook himself off and smiled.  
"Don't worry, it was just an accident." He crouched and began to pick everything up, stuffing them into his bag as he went.  
"You're going to Hogwarts, too?" James asked distractedly. He had spotted a book called, _A History of Hogwarts_.  
"Of course," The boy said, and he suddenly went pale. "Of course I'm going to Hogwarts. Though I was a bit surprised, at first."  
"Why—I mean, I was too. Never even dreamed I'd go to Hogwarts. Anyway...better catch up to my Dad. Sorry about the accident." And with that, James hurried through the crowd of witches and wizards towards his Father and Gringotts.  
Inside, his Father led him to a free counter. A wicked looking goblin was standing behind the counter, his gnarled fingers holding a pair of spectacles. James' Father pulled out a little gold key from his trouser pocket, and showed it to the goblin. "We'd like to go to my safe, please."  
"Ah, Mr. Potter, nice to see you again...this way, please." The goblin jumped out from behind the counter and led them to a small doorway. They walked down a steep hill, and James noticed that a set of tram rails was bolted into the ground. The goblin whistled, and a trolley rolled up the hill. James, his Father, and the goblin squeezed into the trolley, and they set off down the hill, James a little surprised to see that the trolley seemed to be steering itself. They whizzed through a maze of dark tunnels, the trolley going so fast James thought he might be sick at one point; his Father certainly didn't look the part, either. The goblin, however, was grinning wickedly.  
"Almost there," He murmured. James settled down in the trolley and tried to think of something pleasant, so he wouldn't be sick. Suddenly the trolley came to a halt, and James was nearly hurtled out of it, but his Father caught him by the scruff of his neck. They hopped out, and the goblin opened up his Father's safe with the little golden key. Mist appeared when the vault was opened, and when it faded, a small fortune of gold, silver and bronze coins was revealed. James' Father walked into the vault and started to fill a leather pouch full of coins. James was feeling too sick to do anything, and so waited outside by the trolley. The goblin was looking at him strangely, and when James glanced at him, he quickly looked away.  
"All right, I think I have enough here for all your supplies." James' Father called from inside the vault. He walked out with the bag of coins stuffed into his coat pocket. "Let's go, then." He said to the goblin. He and James clambered into the trolley, and the goblin closed the vault before getting in himself. He handed Mr. Potter the golden key, and the man pocketed it. Suddenly the trolley sped into action, rolling around on the railings, and James was sure he had come a different way to the one they were going now.  
Back in the main hall of Gringotts, James was feeling fairly sick.  
"How about a nice butter beer to settle down your stomach?" Mr. Potter suggested. James shook his head; he was sure anything that went into his stomach now would come back up soon enough. "All right, then...well, why don't we start shopping? Let's see..." Mr. Potter took out a list of everything James would need for Hogwarts that arrived with the letter. He gave it to James, who read it carefully:  
  
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Uniform

_First year students will require:_

_Three sets of plain work robes (black)_

_One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear_

_One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)_

_One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)_

_Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry nametags._

Set books

_All students should have a copy of the following:_

Beginners Book of Spells _by Rowena Riley_

A History of Magic _by Motley Greenale_

Magical Theory _by Jolly Tweaks_

A Beginners Guide to Transfiguration _by Amelia Fondheart_

Nine Hundred and Ninety Nine Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Botty Gobbs_

Magical Potions _by Fondulus Wickle_

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by_ _Newt Scamander_

Dark Magic and How to Avoid It_ by Athena Moore_

Other equipment:  
_1 Wand_

_1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)_

_1 set glass or crystal phials_

_1 telescope_

_1 set brass scales_

_Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad_

_PARENTS REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS_

"Where to first?" Asked James, giving his Father back the list.  
"The wand shop, I suppose." And with that they went out of the bank and into the streets.  
James and his Father passed a shop called _Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions_. They'd have to go there later, for James' robes.  
James was to buy his wand from a shop that was shabby and small. Gold writing on the door read _Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 BC_. Inside was dusty and dank, sunlight filtering through the only window, which was at the front of the shop. A man with silvery eyes was standing behind the counter. As he walked over to James and his Father, James looked around. The walls were lined with thousands upon thousands of slender boxes, each piled up on one another.  
"Mr. Potter, I believe?" Said the man in a soft voice. His eyes fixed on James. "You're first year at Hogwarts, is it?" James nodded awkwardly.   
"James, this is Mr. Ollivander." Mr. Potter said quietly. "I'll wait by the door." He sat down on a fragile-looking chair. Mr. Ollivander beckoned James over to a pile of boxes, and took one down for him.  
"Try this one out," He said softly. James gave the wand a flick: nothing happened. "Oh, no, no...willow, nine and a half inches, unicorn hair core...no, I suppose not." Mumbled Mr. Ollivander. James looked at his Father questioningly, but he only shrugged. "What about this one?" Said Mr. Ollivander, handing James another wand as he took the first one. "Oak, eight inches, fairly sturdy...dragon heartstring core." James waved the wand about foolishly, but nothing happened. He tried another, and another...soon a stack of tested wands was plied next to James, and his Father looked slightly bored.  
"Well, how about this one, then?" Mr. Ollivander, however, seemed keener to find a wand for James than ever. When James took the wand, his whole arm went warm...he waved it up and down, and a shoot of sparks came out of the end, startling Mr. Potter.  
"Excellent, excellent!" Beamed Mr. Ollivander. "Yes, of course! Mahogany, eleven inches, excellent for transfiguration...well, I should have known. Though it is, of course, the wand that chooses the wizard." He said to no one in particular. James smiled slightly with a mixed feeling of relief and excitement.  
James and his Father left the shop after paying Mr. Ollivander nine gold Galleons for the wand.   
Next was the bookstore, Flourish and Blotts. Shelves upon shelves of fabulous looking books bound in leather, covered in silk and written in gold ink filled the shop. James was tempted to get a roll of parchment that wrapped around the readers neck, and a bottle of ink that burned anything that touched it (except for the surface it's written on), but his Father refused to buy him such things. They left with a few bags full of James' required books, plus a few rolls of parchment and a set of quills and black, red and blue ink.  
Mr. Potter then took his son to _Madam Milkin's Robes for All Occasions_, the shop James had seen earlier. On the way there they passed a shop that sold owls and other pets for wizards and witches—but Mr. Potter said that maybe James could get an owl next year.  
James was fitted by a squat, smiling woman - Madam Milkin. Just as he and his father were leaving, another boy entered. He had greasy black hair, a slightly hooked nose and sallow skin. James eyed the boy curiously, wondering if he was going to Hogwarts, too.  
Next was the shop where James would buy his set of phials and a standard set of potion ingredients. The shop smelled a little gross, and there were jars of swirling, pinkish organs lined up along a shelf behind the counter. James bought his cauldron from a store just down the road. He bought his telescope and set of scales from another shop, and Mr. Potter said that would be all for the day.   
They were heading towards the exit to Daigon Alley when James spotted a flashy looking broomstick in a shop window. Mr. Potter noticed what James was staring at.  
"No, son. You read the letter: first years aren't allowed their own broomsticks. Now let's go, I'm positively buggered." And shifted the bags in his hands around so he could shove James forward towards the gateway. He then tapped the right brick with his wand (with much difficulty, mind you) and walked stiffly through the gateway as it appeared. James followed him, eyeing the broomstick fondly. He sighed sadly, as it would probably be until next year that he'd have to wait for one.  
  
Chapter 2  
James was excited all weekend about going to Hogwarts. He was so much so that, in annoyance, his mother took him to Daigon Alley again, just to look around. James made her wait for ten minutes while he gazed longingly at the broomstick propped up behind the shop window.  
"James," Mrs. Potter said slowly.   
"Just a moment, Mum—"  
"Absolutely not, James. I'm not waiting here any longer!" Snapped his Mother. "Now come along, we'll get something to eat." Slowly James tore away from the front window, jostled through a crowd of sighing children who were also gazing at the broomstick, and followed his Mother through the gateway and into the Leaky Cauldron, where they ate toasted cheese sandwiches and drank lemonade. About to leave, James spotted the brown-haired, frail looking boy he had knocked over in Daigon Alley a few days ago. The boy caught James' eye, and smiled swiftly as James and his Mother left the pub.  
Back in his house, James flicked through his schoolbooks. Curious about what a knarl and a doxy were, he scanned the pages of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_. After discovering that a knarl was a particularly clever creature that looked slightly like a cat, and that a doxy was a pest to the average household, James flipped through the pages of _Beginners Book of Spells_, his wand ready. There was a spell that caught James' eye; the incantation was "Wingardium Leviosa". For a moment he wondered if he was even allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts. But he shrugged that thought away.  
James used one of his quills as the target. He readied his wand, and said airily, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The quill gave a feeble sort of quiver, then flopped onto the floor. "Oh, fine." Spat James, and he threw himself onto his bed effortlessly. He was extremely bored, though was still extremely excited about Hogwarts. It was only another week till he'd be setting off to the train station, and waiting on platform nine and three quarters—then James thought suddenly, how could there be a platform nine and three quarters? Sleepily James squashed that thought out of his mind and fell asleep.   
  
On September the first, James set off to King's Cross Station with his parents. They passed a number of Muggles who looked at them curiously, as they were carrying a number of books with the word 'Magic' in them.  
At King's Cross Station, Mr. And Mrs. Potter took James over to the barrier, between platforms nine and ten. When no Muggles were looking, James sped through the barrier, his trolley in tow, and his parents behind him. They landed in platform nine and three quarters. The train was ready to leave. Quickly James, with his Father's help, heaved his trunk onto the train compartment. Mr. And Mrs. Potter stepped back quickly as the train began to move, Mr. Potter puffing slightly from the effort of lifting James' heavy trunk. James waved to them for as long as he could, stopping when they disappeared round a corner. James stuffed his trunk under one of the seats.  
After a while of staring out the window, thinking, the compartment door opened. James looked at the door: the boy with light brown hair was standing there.  
"Mind if I sit in here?" He asked quietly. James shrugged. The boy towed his trunk into the compartment and slid it under his seat. He sat down, and then held out his hand.  
"Remus Lupin."  
James looked at the boy.  
"James Potter." They shook hands, an oddly formal way to meet for James.  
"Are you excited?" Asked Remus. "I certainly am. I wonder what house I'll be in?"  
"I bet I'm in Gryffindor," James said smugly.  
Remus considered this.  
"Oh, I don't know. Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad. I just hope I don't end up in Slytherin," He said darkly. "I hear most people who get into that house follow after You-Know-Who when they leave school."  
Neither of them said anything for a while. Eventually Remus retrieved a book from his trunk, and began to read. James stared out the window. Rolling hills were starting to appear. The sky up ahead was a dark, swirling mass of grey clouds.  
The compartment door opened again, and in came a woman pushing a trolley.  
"Anything to eat, boys?" She asked brightly. Remus looked up from his book, and shook his head politely. James looked at what was on offer. There were pumpkin pasties, Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, Cauldron Cakes, Droobles Best Blowing Gum, Licorice wands and Chocolate frogs. James ended up buying a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and decided to share them with Remus.  
The first one that Remus took, he spat into his hand.  
"Urgh...ear-wax flavoured."   
James smiled and popped one into his mouth. It was blueberry pie flavoured, and he certainly didn't spit that one out.  
They continued to eat the beans until the compartment door opened yet again, and the boy with greasy black hair that James had seen entering Madam Milkin's robe shop.  
"May I sit in here?" He asked uneasily. Remus looked at James, who shrugged.  
"Fine with me," He said. Remus nodded. The black-haired boy pulled his trunk into the compartment and heaved it under a seat. He sat down, puffing slightly. Remus glanced at James, then said to the boy, "Remus Lupin." He held out his hand. The black-haired boy stared at it.  
"Severus Snape." He didn't shake Remus' hand.  
Remus seemed slightly taken aback.  
"What—what house do you think you'll be in?" He asked Severus.  
"Slytherin, I hope." The boy replied shortly. James smiled wryly.  
"I hope I'm in Gryffindor. Certainly wouldn't want to be in Slytherin." He cracked his knuckles.  
"What do I care?" Snapped Severus. "It's only for pure-bloods, anyway,"  
"What is that supposed to mean?" Growled James. Remus glanced quickly at his book, as if wanting to disappear into whatever world was contained in between the pages. "My blood is just as pure as yours—though it wouldn't make much difference, you've already tainted your family's blood by just being in it."  
Severus rose to his feet, his dark eyes glinting.  
"Say that again, and I swear I'll curse you!"  
"I bet you haven't even learnt anything yet, anyway. The most you could do to me is turn my nose red and my eyebrows back to front—and I'm sure Remus here could cure that, anyway!"  
Remus shot a shocked look at James.  
"I don't want any part in this!" He said quickly. James and Severus ignored him.  
"Come on, then, take your best shot." Said James. He was staring squarely into Severus' eyes, which didn't dare stray from James'.  
"James..." Started Remus, but he trailed off weakly.  
"Go on, then," Snarled James. Severus twitched slightly.  
"What, forgotten your wand? I have mine." James said drawlingly. He in fact did not, and was trying his hardest to look truthful. Severus took a deep breath. "Thought so." Smirked James. Severus went to pick up his trunk, then stopped, looking from James to Remus.  
"You will be sorry—"  
"James Potter." He said slowly.  
"—_Potter_." Finished Severus, and he hauled his trunk out into the corridor, slamming the door shut.  
"You know, I think I'll read my book whenever someone comes in," Remus remarked.  
"And why is that?"  
"So I don't have to listen to all their rubbish."  
  
It was night by the time they got off the train. A voice had told them to leave their luggage on it, so they did. The first years stumbled towards a gigantic shadow who was shouting, "Come on, firs' years! This way!"  
The students walked cautiously forward, the only light being a lantern held by the giant shadow. Remus stayed close to James, and every so often, he glanced up at the sliver of moon in the sky.  
"Four to a boat!" Called the shadow. The students stumbled forward towards a bank full of small boats. Remus and James clambered into one, and a girl with black hair, and a blonde boy joined them.  
The boats sailed around a bend in a narrow strip of water, and suddenly everyone sighed in awe—the strip of water had opened onto a glistening black lake, a great castle peering down at it.  
The blonde boy in James' boat looked around wildly as it rocked slowly.  
"I hope this thing is stable," He muttered.  
"Heads down!" Called the giant shadow with the lantern. People obeyed, and the boats slipped under a wide stretch of ivy, which had grown on a cliff-face. The little boats sailed through a dark tunnel, and landed in a place that looked like an underground harbour. The students climbed out of their boats and followed the giant shadow through a passageway, feeling stones and pebbles turn into soft grass beneath their slightly damp feet. They stopped in front of a huge oak door. The giant shadow knocked once, twice, three times.

Chapter 3

The doors opened and a tall, stern looking woman with black hair tied back into a bun stood there. She looked about fifty, and wore emerald green robes.  
"The firs' years are all here...I think." Said the shadow, who was now visible from the torchlight inside combined with the lantern light. He was extremely tall, heavily built, and had matted, wild black hair and a tangled black beard. His beady black eyes glanced quickly at the first years. The woman in the doorway looked at the group of huddled kids.  
"Yes, I think you're right. Thank you, Hagrid, I'll take them from here." She turned to the first years. "Come this way, please." She opened the doors wider, and a hall was revealed. It was extremely huge, with torches held in brackets along each wall, the flagged stone floor glinting in the light.  
They followed the woman through the hall, and into a smaller one.  
"You are to wait here until the Sorting Ceremony starts. As you will probably already know, there are four houses in Hogwarts, and you are each to be put into one, be it Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin. I am Professor McGonnagal, the head of Gryffindor house. All the other heads of the houses are teachers, too. That is all I shall say for now." And she left the room. Remus glanced sideways at James.  
"Are you nervous?" He said.  
James nodded glumly.

Suddenly the doors of the hall flung open and Professor McGonnagal returned.


End file.
